Air-conditioner

ABSTRACT

A high elongated portable air-conditioner is disclosed. The air-conditioner comprises a compressor, a condenser, and an evaporator located inside a housing. The air conditioner further comprises a cool air inlet and outlet and a warm air inlet and outlet. The air-conditioner has an axial evaporator fan and a radial condenser fan and the housing of the air-conditioner has an elongated shape where the end sections of the elongated air conditioner housing forms a top section and a bottom section, respectively. Other features of a portable air-conditioner are also disclosed.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to an air-conditioner. In particular thepresent disclosure relates to a portable air-conditioner.

BACKGROUND

Air conditioning is a collective expression for conditioning air into adesired state. It could be heating the air during cold periods, coolingthe air during warmer periods or for cleaning the air if it containsunwanted particles. However, the expression air conditioning is mostoften used when emphasizing cooling. As a product, air conditioners canlook and be used in various ways, but they all share the same basictechnology.

Today, portable air-conditioners are gaining more and more interest.Thus, a portable air conditioner is based on the more flexible lifestyle of today, where the demand for being able to choose when and whereto use an air conditioner is becoming a more important factor for theusers. In countries that experience climate differences over the year,it is a benefit to be able to remove the air conditioner when cooling isnot necessary anymore. Also, a permanently installed air conditionerrequires modifications within the house which means extra effort andcosts.

Existing portable air-conditioners are often found to be large, hard tohandle, noisy and inefficient. Furthermore, the connected exhaust airoutlet that removes the heat from the room is often complicated andinefficient in its design. A known portable air-conditioner is forexample described in the U.S. Pat. No. 2,234,753.

Hence, there is a need for an improved air-conditioner.

SUMMARY

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improvedair-conditioner that at least partly solves the problems with existingair-conditioners, in particular problems of portable air-conditioners.

This object and others are obtained by the portable air conditioner asset out in the appended claims. Also disclosed are devices that can beused together with portable air-conditioners.

In accordance with one aspect a portable air-conditioner is provided.The air-conditioner comprises a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator,and typically also comprises an expansion device located inside ahousing. The air conditioner further comprises a cool air outlet and awarm air outlet. The housing of the air-conditioner has an elongatedshape, the end sections of the elongated air conditioner housing formingthe top section and bottom section, respectively. In particular an axialfan can be used as an evaporator fan and a radial fan can be as acondenser fan in order to keep dimensions down while at the same timeproviding an air-conditioner unit that has a sufficiently high capacity.Hereby an efficient use of floor space can be achieved.

In accordance with some embodiments the portable air conditioner isgenerally cylindrical or cuboid shaped. In accordance with someembodiments the bottom section has a diameter of less than 45centimeters and the height of the portable air conditioner is at least80 centimeters.

In accordance with some embodiments the cool air outlet is located inthe top section and the portable air conditioner is adapted to generatea cool air stream in an upwards direction.

In accordance with some embodiments the portable air conditioner isprovided with a shield for deflecting the upwards cool air stream in aradial direction. The deflecting shield can be designed to only deflectthe radially deflected cool air into a sector. The shield can begenerally cone shaped with a curved wall or with a straight channeloutlet. The shield design can also be provided with an opening in themiddle for letting air pass in an upwards direction.

In accordance with some embodiments the compressor is located in thebottom section of the housing of the portable air conditioner and thehousing has dimensions such that the base of compressor fits therein andoccupies the entire base of the housing. The compressor can besurrounded by the condenser. In accordance with one embodiment thecondenser is elevated such that it only surrounds the upper section ofthe compressor and such that the space between the lower part of thecompressor and the housing is not occupied by the condenser. Hereby theflow of air in the air-conditioner can be improved. Above the compressora radial fan to expel warm air can be located. Above the radial fan theevaporator can be located. Electronics can be located in the area of theevaporator. On top of the evaporator an axial fan can be located.

In accordance with one aspect a compressor cover is provided. Thecompressor cover has holes for the coils and a cut in between and alongthe sides of the compressor cover. The cover can have a cut horizontallyin order to serve as a passage of the thermal cord when mounting thecover. The cover can be provided with one or more, in particular two,fabric straps that fixate and lock the cover in place by Velcro.

In accordance with one aspect a portable air-conditioner is provided.The portable air-conditioner comprises a compressor, a condenser, anevaporator, and can also comprise an expansion device located inside ahousing. The portable air conditioner further comprises a cool airoutlet and a warm air outlet. The housing of the air-conditioner has anelongated shape. The end sections of the elongated air conditionerhousing form the top section and bottom section. The evaporator and thecondenser are located wrapped around the inner side of the airconditioner housing.

In accordance with some embodiments the fins of the evaporator andcondenser are horizontal. The fins can be tilted.

In accordance with one aspect an exhaust air outlet assembly for aportable air conditioner is provided. The assembly comprises aninflatable hose. The hose in some embodiments has outlet holes for thewarm air from the room on one side thereof. The inflatable hose can bemanufactured from a relative stiff material in a section to cover awindow gap. The assembly can also be assembled of two parts; oneinflatable hose and one extendible adapter for covering the window gapof an open window. The exhaust air outlet in the adapter can comprise astiff bottom member that functions as an adapter to the inflatable hosethat connects to the air conditioner. The adapter can have an integratedspiral shaped metal wire which enables the use in different windowsizes.

The inflatable hose can be manufactured from flexible and lightmaterials, like fabrics or flexible plastics, and designed to insulatethe noise and heat from the hot air outlet stream.

The profile of the inflatable hose can be made circular, oval orrectangular. The hose can be extendable, easy to manage and store. Itcan have an integrated spiral shaped metal wire which enables the use indifferent window sizes. In particular the spiral can be fitted in oneend of the hose to provide an adapter in that end of the hose. Theexhaust air outlet assembly can comprise a stiff bottom member thatfunctions as an adapter to the inflatable hose that connects to the airconditioner. The member can be integrated in the hose or provided as aseparate member that can be assembled with the hose.

In accordance with one aspect an air filter assembly is provided. Theair filter assembly can be adapted to run in a rail on the housing of aportable air conditioner. The air filter assembly can comprise a handleconnected to a fixating frame. The fixating frame has a filter mountedthereon.

In accordance with some embodiments the air filter assembly furthercomprises a directing bar connected to the front part of the fixatingframe.

In accordance with some embodiments the handle can be connected to twofixating frames, where the frames are designed to move in oppositedirections during insertion of the air filter assembly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will now be described in more detail by way ofnon-limiting examples and with reference to the accompanying drawings,in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates the principles of an air-conditioner,

FIG. 2 illustrates a portable air-conditioner unit,

FIGS. 3 a-3 c illustrate a top of a portable air-conditioner unit,

FIG. 4 illustrates a cylindrical air-conditioner unit,

FIG. 5 illustrates a stand for a compressor,

FIGS. 6 a-6 c illustrate a cover for a compressor,

FIGS. 7 a-7 c depict heat exchangers geometry,

FIGS. 8 and 9 a-9 f depict a self-evaporator system,

FIGS. 10-12 illustrate air-conditioner electronics and location thereof,

FIGS. 13 a-13 c and 14 a-14 b illustrate an inflatable hose anddifferent connection possibilities thereof,

FIG. 15 shows how the different parts of an-air conditioner unit can belocated,

FIGS. 16 a-16 d show a housing frame for a portable air-conditionerunit,

FIGS. 17 and 18 show air filters for an air-conditioner unit, and

FIGS. 19 a-19 c illustrate a possible design of a portableair-conditioner unit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates the general principles of an air conditioner system.The main parts of the system are the compressor 101, evaporator 103,condenser 105, and expansion device 107 such as a capillary tube. Also acondenser fan 109 and an evaporator fan 111 can be provided. Thecompressor is connected in a circuit with the condenser, the evaporator,and the expansion device. The refrigerant has the ability to turn fromliquid into vapor, and by that change in temperature. The temperedrefrigerant and the indoor air work in symbiosis to exchange heat toeach other.

The process can be described in the following stages:

Stage 1—Compressor

In the compressor, the refrigerant enters as a superheated vapor at alow pressure. By experiencing a high pressure in the compressor, therefrigerant receives a higher temperature, and thereby exiting thecompressor as a warmer vapor.

Stage 2—Condenser

The refrigerant vapor at high pressure and temperature enters thecondenser which is known as the warm part of the air conditioner. An airstream is flown over the condenser in order to cool the condenser down.When the hot vapor refrigerant gets cooled down, it condensates and theheat of the refrigerant is transferred to the air flow. The condensedrefrigerant is subcooled with part of the energy released to theenvironment, and then passing through the expansion device, where itexperiences a reduction of pressure. This pressure reduction leads to adrastic temperature drop of the refrigerant.

Stage 3—Evaporator

The cool refrigerant enters the evaporator as a mixture of vapor andliquid a low pressure and temperature, known as the cool part of the airconditioner, where hot indoor air is blown through by a fan. The indoorair then turns cooler while the refrigerant in a mixture of vapor-liquidevaporates further since it absorbs the heat from the hot air.

When the air temperature decreases on its way through the evaporator,the water vapor contained in the air condensates and then a film ofliquid water is produced in the evaporator surface. This means that theair conditioner actually can dry the air while cooling it. After theevaporator, the superheated refrigerant is sucked into the compressoragain where the cycle restarts.

In a portable air-conditioner all the components are assembled in oneunit. Since the entire unit is indoors, it requires an exhaust airoutlet to remove the heat. An exhaust air hose is connected to theoutside typically through a window or similar. The purpose of a portableair conditioner is to cool a volume of air with no need for modificationin the residence. The portable air-conditioner unit is flexible since itcan be moved to areas where the cooling is preferred without majoreffort for installment.

Since the unit constantly sucks in indoor air, the air intakes areusually equipped with filters in order to collect dust and particlesfrom the air. This facilitates sustainability of the inner components aswell as cleans the indoor air. The filters are usually recommended to becleaned every two weeks. When the hot indoor air flows through theevaporator and becomes colder, condensate is created in the evaporatorand is often used to cool the condenser further. Parts of the condensewater will at that time be evaporated by the heat of the condenser andthe system is then called self-evaporating. The condense water that notget evaporated has to be removed from the unit. This can either be donethrough water trays that have to be emptied continuously or via waterdrainage outlets where a garden hose or similar can be connected. Inanother embodiment water tanks are used to collect water. The use ofwater tanks facilitates moving of the unit without the risk of spillingwater. The self-evaporative system uses the condense water to cool downthe condenser in order for the unit to be more efficient. This reducesthe amount of condense water that needs to be drained from the unit orstored in the unit. In order for the condense water to be distributedover the condenser, the structure includes paths for the water to drainin along with a splashing fan in the bottom, splashing up water on thecondenser.

In FIG. 2 a portable air-conditioner 201 is shown. A portable airconditioner requires an exhaust air outlet. The exhaust air outletfunctions as the exit for the heat that is removed from the indoorspace. In order for the indoor air to stay cool, the heat needs to beremoved from the indoor space. This is enabled by using an outletdevice, typically a hose 203 that can be connected to the back of theunit. The hose is most often connected to a window where the hot air isexhausted as is illustrated in FIG. 2 . A window mounting kit can alsobe included when a portable air conditioner is purchased. The windowmounting kit can comprise an adapter 205 for mounting in the window. Theadapter can be slidable to fit in different window sizes

In order to provide a portable air conditioner that is easy to place ina room, typically in a home environment, a high, narrow portable airconditioner is provided. A high narrow portable air conditioner has theadvantage that it is easy to place in a room due to the small floor areathat it requires. Also, when a portable air conditioner that is built inan elongated shape such as a cylinder or cuboid, the cool air outlet canbe placed in the top or upper section of the portable air conditioner,whereby the cool air can be distributed from a more centered location inthe room which provides a better air flow due to rising heat. Also, acylindrical or cuboid shape provides for a large front area whilerequiring a small floor space. As a result, an efficient air-conditionerhaving a relatively high capacity in relation to the required floorspace can be provided when using a cylindrical or cuboid shape of theair-conditioner.

In accordance with some embodiments the cool air is blown in an upwardsdirection in the elongated portable air conditioner. The upwards goingcool air flow can be deflected, in whole or partly in a radial directionby a shield provided at the cool air outlet. In particular the radiallydeflected cool air stream can be deflected in an essentially halfcircular direction. Hence the radially deflected cool air stream can bedeflected in a particular sector, where the sector for example can beessentially 180 degrees. In accordance with some embodiments the sectorwidth can be adjustable for example by providing different deflectingshields that can be exchanged or by a sliding mechanism that can beprovided to adjust the sector width. The shield can for example beprovided as having a half circular opening and being generally curvedshaped. This can be advantageous since it spreads the air in a wideincreasing field and also has an effective direction of the air flowstraight out in the room. In FIG. 3 a a top section 301 of a generallycylindrical portable air conditioner 300 with a shield 303 fordeflecting an up-going cool air flow in a radial direction is depicted.

Further, FIG. 3 b shows the shield 303 with air vents 305 beneath wherethe size and location of the air vents control the amount and directionof the radially deflected cool air. The shield can be cone shaped with acurved wall placed upside down, or a straight outlet channel. Thegenerally cone shaped shield can have an opening in the bottom sectionto allow for some of the cool air to exit the portable air conditionerin an upwards direction and not be deflected by the shield. FIG. 3 bfurther depicts an axial fan 307 and a fan motor 309 for driving the fan307. In FIG. 3 c an exemplary shield 303 as outlined above is depicted.As can be seen the air vent 305 can be separated from the shield forcleaning etc.

In case of a generally cylindrical shape of the housing of the portableair conditioner some additional advantages can be obtained, since mostof the components in an air conditioner are naturally round, like thefans and the compressor. The heat exchangers could be possible to eitherbent or divided in sections around the inside of the unit. Thereby,space will not be wasted and the volume can be used more efficiently inthe unit. An exemplary air-conditioner unit 400 is shown in FIG. 4 .

As in any air conditioner assembly, the unit 400 as described inconjunction with FIG. 4 is divided into two main sections, one cool andone hot section. The cool section will include an evaporator 403 and anevaporator fan 411. The requirement for the cool section is that indoorair could be sucked in through the evaporator and then out in the roomagain. In accordance with embodiments described herein, the unit 400typically generates an air flow of cool air upwards in a cylindrical orsimilar shaped housing. An axial fan can in some embodiments be used asthe evaporator fan 411. Further, the evaporator coils of the evaporatorare placed along the inner walls of the unit. This is a position whereboth the indoor air and the fan have easy access to them. In oneembodiment electronics 413 of the unit is placed in the cool air flow inorder to prevent overheating. Thus, the electronics 413 can be locatedsurrounded by the evaporator 403. Hereby it can also be prevented thatcondense water drops down on the electronics 413. Also, the electronics413 can be shielded from condense water from the evaporator in order tofurther prevent causing fires, failures of the product or electricshocks.

The hot section of the portable air conditioner unit 400 has severalvoluminous components. A compressor 401 is in accordance with someembodiments placed at the center base. By placing the compressor 401alone in the bottom section, the cylinder diameter can be minimized toessentially correspond to the width of the base of the compressor.Hence, the width of the compressor base is (essentially) the same as theinner diameter of the cylindrical housing. A condenser fan 409 has therequirement to suck indoor air in through a condenser coil of acondenser 405 and then send the air outdoors in a radial direction. Thiscan be achieved by using a radial fan as the condenser fan 409.

Using the component assembly as depicted in FIG. 4 , most of the maincomponents evolve around the center of the cylinder and can therebycreate a smaller, more compact air conditioner. It is to be noted thatno self-evaporating system is depicted in the exemplary main componentassembly of FIG. 4 .

Further, a heat exchanger/air conditioner as described herein can have agenerally circular bottom section, thereby forming a generally cylindershaped unit 400. The unit 400 can consist of two fin and tube type heatexchangers, both of them manufactured with a cylindrical profile. Thisdesign can be made by means of the bending of standard flat coils in acylindrical shape.

One of the main advantages of the cylindrical shape heat exchangers isthe larger air-intake frontal area, in comparison to standard squareshape designs. A larger frontal area permits the minimization of the airpressure drop through the heat exchangers, what means less friction andless pumping power in fans. This is also related to less noisyprocesses.

The cylindrical shape heat exchangers also offer the possibility ofincrease the overall heat transfer area by the increase of fins density.Additionally, in the cases when the air flow crossing through the heatexchanger is irregular, a proportional fin density in relation tonon-uniform air distribution can also increase the capacity of thesystem, without a significant increment of the pressure drop.

Other important benefit of cylindrical shaped air-conditioner units,with larger air-intake frontal areas, is that the thickness of the heatexchanger can be reduced, allowing low temperature differences betweenthe inlet and outlet of the air, in both condenser and evaporator. As aconsequence, higher efficient cycles can be obtained because of theeffect of the increase of the evaporating temperatures and decrease ofcondensing temperatures. This means lower pressure rations in thecompressor, and as a consequence less power consumption. Therefore,larger but thinner frontal area is more efficient than smaller butthicker frontal area.

Additionally, a lower air temperature difference in cylindrical shapeevaporators can be essential to increase the sensible cooling capacityeffect, by means of the minimization of the energy used to condensatethe moisture contained in the air. If the air temperature difference inthe evaporator is lower, the relative humidity change is also lower.Therefore, the amount of moisture removed over the evaporator surface isless, as well as the energy required for this process.

Another advantage of the cylindrical design of the heat exchangers isthe simplification of circuiting design as well as the manufacturingprocess, since the number of junctions between circuits can be reduceddrastically, because of a better distribution of the refrigerant intothe pipes.

The use of cylindrical shape heat exchangers can allow a betterrefrigerant distribution inside the refrigerant circuiting due to thelower pressure drops in refrigerant side, since there is not needed acomplex circuitry to maximize the air conditioner performance.

From the air side point of view, the use of cylindrical shape heatexchangers is also an advantage to fully use the heat exchanger area,since the distribution of the air flow is more efficient along the heatexchangers surface. This feature is very important because allows tomaximize the heat exchangers performance, without wasting part of thematerial used in their manufacture, as happens in most of the standardheat exchangers.

Compressor

Any type of compressor can be used. However, in some embodiments aninverter compressor is preferred. An inverter compressor keeps a moreenergy efficient work flow than a non-inverter type. In an airconditioner with a conventional compressor, the compressor will beturned off when the wanted room temperature is achieved. This means thatthe compressor constantly switches from running for maximal capacity tobeing completely off, which is an inefficient work method due to theenergy consumption that is required in the switching on mode as well asthe maximum speed modes. The inverter compressor is able to control thecooling output of the air conditioner through a variable-frequency drivewith a power inverter that changes direct current (DC) to alternativecurrent (AC). The compressor motor can therefore run at any frequency,providing an even work flow. Due to the evenness of work flow, and thereducing of the number of on/off cycles for the compressor, the noiselevel will decrease using an inverter compressor. An air conditionerwhich uses a conventional compressor, the constantly on/off switching aswell as the maximum capacity mode will make distinct remarks in thetotal noise level of the air conditioner. The inverter controller can inaccordance with some embodiments be placed in the cool part of the airconditioner. The other electronics can also be placed in the cool partof the air conditioner.

The compressor is placed on the air conditioners lowest point in orderto minimize vibration transitions to the rest of the structure. Also,the compressor constitutes as the heaviest component which allows for amore stable construction with the compressor in the bottom.

By placing the main compressor body in the center of the cylindrical airconditioner, can allow for evenness of the incoming air flow since thedistance between the condenser and compressor will be even around it.

Many compressor models use a triangular base with three feet. The standsare usually equipped with rubber feet in order to insulate thevibrations from the compressor. In FIG. 5 a compressor base 500 isdepicted. To optimize the compressor base for location in a highelongated housing, a squared base is used in accordance with someembodiments. With a squared base with four stands, placed over the airconditioners four stands consisting of two wheels 501 and two fixedstands 503, the vibrations from a compressor 505 standing on stands willbe transferred directly down to the ground. The stands 501; 503 of thecompressor, regardless of the number of stands used, can be located onthe outer periphery of the bottom section of the air-conditioner unit.The base can also be constructed so that the compressor is raised fromthe bottom, partly for using the height of the air conditioner. Byhaving an elevated base, it also creates an opportunity to use the spaceunderneath for condense water collection such as in a condense watertray or a condense water tank. The stands of the compressor can belocated on the rim of the bottom section of the air-conditioner.

Compressor Cover

In order to insulate the compressor, a cover can be provided. In FIG. 6an exemplary cover 600 is shown in different views. In accordance withsome embodiments the cover can be made of molded neoprene, and can becomposed by different layers of noise isolation materials. The cover canhave holes 601 for the coils and a cut in between and along the sides tobe able to remove it from the compressor as is shown in FIG. 6 . Thecover can also have a cut 603 horizontally in order to enable passage ofthe thermal cord when mounting the cover. Around the cover, there can beone or more, in particular two, fabric straps 605 that fixate and lockthe cover in place by Velcro. The cover can have an even materialthickness that can allow the effective noise minimization fromcompressor. For example the thickness can be about 5 millimeters. Thecover is adapted to suit different placements in vertical order of theaccumulator. Also varying thermal cap placements are considered due tothe extra volume in the top of the cover.

Heat Exchangers

The heat exchangers in an air conditioner unit consist of an evaporatorand a condenser. These two components are typically constructed in thesame way, consisting of coils, usually made of copper, and mechanicallypressed on fins. The fins are made of a heat conductive material (oftenaluminum) and their purpose is to enlarge the total surface area for theheat exchanger in order to expose the air flow to more heat/coldness.

An additional design could be the use of aluminum micro channel heatexchangers, manufactured in a cylindrical shape.

In a portable air conditioner having a high elongated shape both theevaporator and the condenser can be placed in the same framework,wrapped around the inner side of the air conditioner chassis/housing,with an air suction coming from above.

In accordance with one embodiment, the design of both heat exchangerscomprises two fin and tube heat exchangers with a cylindrical profile.The design is possible due to bend the coils in a circular shape. FIGS.7 a-7 c depict aspects of the heat exchangers geometry.

The cylindrical shape of both heat exchangers allows larger air-intakefrontal areas in comparison to standard square shape heat exchangers. Alarger frontal area allows the minimization of the air pressure dropthrough the heat exchangers, allowing the use of small fan motors andalso minimizing the noise due to large air flow rates.

Additionally, the circuit design as well as the manufacturing processcould be simpler, since the number of junctions can be reduceddrastically. This can be obtained in different ways. FIGS. 7 a and 7 bshow two possible designs. Thus, FIG. 7 a shows a vertical fin placementand FIG. 7 b shows a horizontal fin placement. An advantage of usinghorizontally placed fins in a portable air conditioner that is high andhas an elongated housing where the evaporator and/or the condenser islocated wrapped around the inner side of the air conditionerchassis/housing is that the horizontal fin design will probably give amore even air flow than the vertical fin placement. This is because thehorizontally placed fins will split up the air in vertical order anddirect it to the middle of the air conditioner, where an under pressurewill be occurring due to the suction from the fan. The vertical finsdoes not direct the air straight into the air conditioner in the sameway since it is creating vertical gaps that leads the air up to the fandirectly. Also horizontally placed fins provide a more even air flowover the heat exchanger area, and therefore it can be stated that thisdesign uses the entire frontal area more efficiently than the verticalfin design does.

In another embodiment the horizontal fins are tiled. This is depicted inFIG. 7 c . Using a tilted fin design will allow for condense water torinse off easier and also to direct the air flow towards the fan, whichis advantageous. Also by using tilted fins the fin surface area willincrease without increasing the depth. For example if the heat exchangerdesign tilts with 45 degrees, a surface gain of 40 percent will beachieved compared to a horizontal design with the same volume.

Fans

There are typically two fans in a portable air conditioner; theevaporator fan and the condenser fan. The evaporator fan function is toforce the hot indoor air over the chilled evaporator coils in order tocool it and then distribute it to the room again. The condenser fanforce indoor air through the hot condenser in order to cool down therefrigerant and simultaneously give up the refrigerant heat to theexhaust air flow.

Generally fans can be split up into three major types, axial fans,radial fans and cross-flow fans. Axial fans, often called propellerfans, imbibe air on one side along its axis and exhaust it on the otherside. Radial fans imbibe air along its axis but exhaust it in a radialdirection. The radial fans are most often covered with a housing inorder to direct the air effectively. In a cross flow fan, the air flowsacross the impeller. In existing portable air conditioners, both thefans are of either radial or cross flow type.

In the portable air conditioner as described herein, which has a highelongated shape; an axial fan is used as evaporator fan. In the case ofan axial fan, the air come from underneath and it is exhausted inupwards direction, or with a certain angle to improve the airdistribution. This is advantageous because it lets the air in fromunderneath and exhausts it upwards. Furthermore, the natural shape of anaxial fan in combination with the placement uses the elongated shapewell. In case the portable air conditioner shape is cylindrical the useof space will be optimal. In particular the required floor space can bereduced for the air-conditioner if the air-conditioner is made in acylindrical shape with an axial fan as the evaporator fan.

The condenser fan on the other hand is advantageously of radial typesince it is desired to imbibe air from underneath and exhaust it fromthe air conditioner in a radial direction. In particular if portable airconditioner housing is cylindrical when the condenser fan is placed withits axis vertically, it uses the cylindrical shape of the airconditioner in an efficient way.

By using an axial fan as the evaporator fan in a cylindrical airconditioner housing, the floor space is efficiently used, and amount ofwasted space is minimal. The placement and fan type allows for large fanblades, which constitutes to a lower required fan speed, and therebyless energy consumption. The radial condenser fan is advantageouslyplaced with its axis centralized in the air conditioner. By centralizingthe axis, the air flow over the condenser can be imbibed evenly. Theshell reminiscent housing is in favor to the design since it leavesrequired space for cords and coils between the upper and lower airconditioner side.

Self-Evaporation

Self-evaporative systems are becoming a more common feature in airconditioners today, since the system increases the efficiency of the airconditioner and at the same time decreases the amount of condense waterthat otherwise have to be emptied often. The system uses the condensewater that is created over the evaporator when the hot air becomes cold,for cooling the condenser. This increases the efficiency of the unit.The condense water can typically splashed onto the condenser fromunderneath by a small fan. When exposing the water for the warmcondenser, the water evaporates and is sent to outside by the exhaustair flow, which reduces the amount of condense water that has to beemptied from the tray. An ideal self-evaporative system would evaporatethe entire amount of condense water so no water emptying is required atall. It is also possible to supplement the self-evaporation system witha water tank whereby some water can be collected if it is not possibleto self-evaporate all water at a particular time.

In FIG. 8 a self-evaporating system 800 is schematically shown. Inaccordance with some embodiments described herein the self-evaporatingsystem uses the condense water that is created in the evaporator 801.This water is collected in an integrated tray 803 in the inner framebetween the cold and the warm section of the air conditioner. The traycan be angled in order to direct the water to a pipe 805 that transportsthe water down to the warm side. From the pipe, the water is drippeddown to a tray 807. By using an aluminum tray with a thin materialthickness the tray 807 can absorb heat from the condenser and by thatfacilitate the condense water evaporation and the self-evaporativeprocess will be further optimized. The aluminum tray is placed over acondenser 809 in order to absorb heat from it and to distribute thecondense water over it. Due to the shape of the aluminum tray, the waterwill be filled up before it starts to drip down on the condenser. In thebottom of the air conditioner another tray or a tank 811 is integratedin the base plate where a water pump is mounted in the lowest point inorder to pump up the remaining condense water to the aluminum trayagain.

Even if the self-evaporating system would work ideally and evaporate theentire amount of the produced condense water, the air conditionertypically still would require a water outlet or a water tank to operatein a dehumidifier mode. This is due to the fact that the exhaust hose isdismounted in this mode in order to avoid a temperature change in theroom. This means that a garden hose or similar is required to beconnected with the water tray outlet when using a dehumidifying feature,see reference numeral 4 in FIG. 9 .

FIG. 9 illustrates a self-evaporating system. Reference numeral 1 showshow the condense water is collected from the evaporator and thentransported down to an aluminum tray where the water is collected andthen distributed over the condenser. Reference numeral 2 illustrates howa water pump, placed on the lowest point under the compressor, pumps thewater back up to the aluminum tray at reference numeral 3. Referencenumeral 4 shows how the pump also is connected to the unit back where agarden hose can be connected during a dehumidifier mode.

Electronics Assemblage

The electronics assemblage typically gathers all the controls and otherelectronics in one unit in order to have easy access to them inmaintaining occasions. A schematic figure of the connected elements inthe electronics unit is shown in FIG. 10 . The required main contentthat needs to be included in the electronics assemblage is typically apower PCB (Printed Circuit Board) 1001 and possibly an inverter PCB1003. The power PCB is connected to all the control elements of theunit, such as a unit interface 1005, a remote control 1007 and a Wi-Ficontroller 1009 that can comprise a SIM-card (Subscriber IdentityModule). The power PCB 1001 also connects and controls the motorizedcomponents of the air conditioner unit, such as fans 1011, a water pump1013 and a compressor 1015. Since the design can include an invertercompressor, the electronics can also demand an inverter PCB 1003 thatcould be referred to as an extra PCB.

The electronics and in particular an inverter PCB 1003 dissipates a lotof heat, the electronics is advantageously located in the cool sectionof the air conditioner where the air flow from the evaporator will passthe electronics. The placement of the electronics in the cool sectionalso matches well with a desirable elevated user interface placement inthe front of the air conditioner. Another advantageous aspect is thatthe electronics assemblage will not risk getting in contact with moistsince it will not be placed under any heat exchangers where condensewater could drip down on it. Cords and coils from the lower part of theair conditioner will have to pass the condenser fan in order to reachthe evaporator and the electronics box. The passage space is depicted inFIG. 11 where the condenser fan 1101 and the inner frame 1103 are shownfrom above with marked space 1105 for coil and cord passage.

FIG. 12 illustrates the placement of the electronics 1201 in the coolpart of the air conditioner in order to absorb cold from the air flowfrom the evaporator 1203 that at least partly can surround theelectronics.

Exhaust Air Outlet

The exhaust air outlet system is an important component in the portableair conditioner since it functions as an exit for the heat that isremoved from the warm indoor air in order to make it cooler. The indoorair is forced over the condenser, and the condenser will thereby getcooler. Simultaneously the indoor air absorbs heat from the condenserand removes it to outside. The air is removed outside by the air outletsystem. Since the air outlet often is installed in a window, it isimportant to seal the window gap in order to insulate it from hot aircoming in from outside, which would decrease the efficiency of the airconditioner.

In accordance with some embodiments the exhaust air outlet comprises aninflatable hose and an extendable adapter which covers the window gap.The extendable adapter can be integrated in the hose or can be providedas a separate part. Advantageously the inflatable hose is designed tominimize the window gap when the hose is placed through the window. Inaccordance with some embodiments the inflatable hose that also functionsas the cover of the window gap. In such an embodiment there is no needfor a separate adapter. On the outside part of the hose there are outletholes for the hot air from the room. It is fixated in the window gapwhen the hose is expanding.

During the air conditioning process, the compressor and condenser fanshuts off when the desired room temperature is reached and only theevaporator fan keeps running. This means that the inflatable hose cantend to collapse since no air is any longer filling it up. When the roomtemperature raises again, the compressor and condenser fan switches onagain. To reduce this problem the inflatable hose can be manufacturedfrom a relative stiff material in between the window gap, but couldstill use the inflatable hose from the window connection to the airconditioner in order to maintain the discrete look that it will holdwhen not inflated. In accordance with some embodiments the profile ofthe inflatable hose is made oval through the entire hose system.Hypothetically, a narrower hose profile should not mean that thecondenser fan would have to work harder as long as it keeps the sameprofile area as the required circular profile. This is illustrated inFIG. 13 . FIG. 13 depicts an air conditioner unit 1301 having aninflatable hose 1303 in different views. The hose can be oval shaped.The hose can have an integrated flexible section 1305 or have a separateflexible window adapter that can be connected to the inflatable hose. Aseparate window adapter can be connected to the inflatable hose with a90 degree connector or a 90 degree bend can be provided in a hose nextto the flexible section 1305. In some embodiments the hose is oval onlyin the section adapted to cover the window gap. The hose can also haveother profiles such as a circular or rectangular profile.

The extendable adapter can be connected to a stiff bottom that functionsas an adapter to the inflatable hose that connects to the airconditioner unit. In accordance with some embodiments the inflatablehose can be provided with an integrated spiral shaped metal wire, inparticular in an end-section of the inflatable hose, which enables theuse in different window sizes. Since the hose from the window to the airconditioner is inflatable it will give a more discrete expression wheninstalled in the room. The concept is suitable for both hinged andsliding window types, see FIGS. 14 a and 14 b , respectively.

Using a stiff bottom solves the problem that a 90 degree bend can causewhen the entire hose was inflatable. Due to the adapter that connectsthe inflatable hose and the extendable hose, no air obstruction willoccur other than that the air has to change direction.

The inflatable hose 1303 can be manufactured using flexible and lightmaterials, like fabrics or flexible plastics, and designed to insulatethe noise and heat from the hot air outlet stream. The section of thehose can be circular, elliptical or rectangular.

In accordance with some embodiments an extendable adapter and aninflatable hose are provided as separate parts. In case the extendableadapter 1305 is manufactured as a separate part that is assembled withthe inflatable hose, the extendable adapter can be manufactured from thesame material as the inflatable hose. However, in some embodiments thematerial of the extendable adapter is another than the material of theinflatable hose. In particular the extendable adapter can be made from arelative stiff material, stiffer than the material of the inflatablehose in between the window gap. The adapter 1305 can have a stiff bottomthat functions as a connector between the inflatable hose and theextendable adapter.

The adapter 1305 can have a clamping mechanism between the window andthe window frame, like some plastic hooks or rubber bands to ensure itsright positioning and also the sealing of the window gap.

Component Assemblage

In FIG. 15 an exemplary assembly 1500 of the main components of aportable air conditioner that is high with has an elongated shape isdepicted. In accordance with some embodiments a compressor 1501 islocated in the bottom section of the housing of the portable airconditioner. The housing can have dimensions such that the base ofcompressor fits therein and occupies/stretches over the entire base ofthe housing. The compressor can be surrounded by a condenser 1503. Thecondenser can also be located to only surround the top portion of thecompressor, thereby allowing for free air-flow in the bottom section ofthe compressor. Above the compressor a radial fan 1505 to expel hot aircan be located. Above the radial fan an evaporator 1507 can be locatedto cool air. As described above electronics 1509 can be located in thearea of the evaporator 1507. On top of the evaporator an axial fan 1511can be located to deliver cool air. A condense water tray or a watertank 1513 can be located under the compressor.

An assembly as described in conjunction with FIG. 15 allows for aportable air conditioner unit that occupies a small floor area and thatgenerally has small dimensions. In accordance with one embodiment aportable air conditioner having a generally cylindrical shape can beformed. The cylindrical portable air conditioner can have a diameterless than 45 cm, in particular about 30 cm and a height larger than 80cm, in particular about 115 cm. In some embodiments the ratio of thewidth/height of the portable air conditioner is at least 1:2 or at least1:2.5. In some embodiments the width/height ratio is even bigger such asat least 1:3 or in the range 1:3-1:4. This will result in anair-conditioner unit that demands considerably less floor space thanexisting portable air conditioners with a comparable performance, whichcan be advantageous.

The components of the assembly are advantageously fitted in a housing.FIG. 16 depicts a housing frame 1600 for a portable air-conditioner indifferent views. The housing can be based on an inner frame. The framecan be made of injection molded plastic and functions both as a mountingconnection for the components as well as a part of the self-evaporatingsystem. The components of the portable air conditioner are sealed in acylinder or similar. To facilitate easy access to all components a framethat is openable in order to ease assembly and maintenance can beprovided. The openable halves are jointed in the back and connectedtogether in the upper and lower front with snap fits. FIG. 16 shows howthe frame opens around the components.

Air Filter

In accordance with some embodiments the air inlet holes were, instead oftraditionally vent holes, equipped with a rough fabric on the outside inorder for the holes to blend in more and give an overall softexpression. The fabric has rather open cells in order to not create alarge pressure drop, which would mean that the fans have to work harder.Furthermore the fabric is advantageously non-attractive to dust, sinceit should not absorb dirt from the air flow and by that require moremaintenance. Preferably the fabric should have plastic integrated inorder to retract dust better.

In accordance with some embodiments, on the inner side of the fabric,there are filters placed in order to clean the incoming air. FIG. 17depicts a filter unit 1700 for an air-conditioner. Filter(s) 1701 can bemounted on a rail 1703 on the air conditioner housing 1705. Thefilter(s) can be removed by dragging filter handles 1707 on the unitback, which will let the filters glide along the air conditionercircumference, as can be seen in FIG. 17 .

Other possibility is introducing the filters in a lateral of the unit,using the same idea of the circular rails.

In FIG. 18 an exemplary air filter unit 1800 is shown in more detail.The filter unit in FIG. 18 is advantageously used when the housing of aportable air conditioner is generally cylindrical. The filter unit cancomprise a handle 1801 to hold the filter unit in when inserting orremoving the filter to/from the air conditioner. Further the filter unitcan comprise a fixating frame 1803 to provide a filter 1805 with astiffness that is designed for easy insertion of the filter unit. Alsothe filter unit can have a directing bar 1807 in the front to evenfurther ease insertion of the filter unit. In accordance with someembodiments one handle is connected to two parallel filter fixatingframes. Hereby two parallel filters can be exchanged in one motion.

A portable air conditioner can in accordance with some exemplaryembodiments look like in FIG. 19 that depicts both inner and outerfeatures of a portable air conditioner. Using the portableair-conditioner as described herein can provide a smaller portable airconditioner with improved performance. It is to be understood that evenif some features are described in conjunction with a particularembodiment, features from different embodiments can be combined toprovide additional embodiments having features from different describedembodiments.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A portable air-conditioner comprising: acompressor; a condenser; an evaporator; a housing, wherein thecompressor, condenser, and evaporator are located inside the housing; acool air inlet and outlet and a warm air inlet and outlet; an evaporatorfan; and a condenser fan, wherein the housing of the air-conditioner hasan elongated shape with end sections forming a top section and a bottomsection, respectively, wherein the condenser and the evaporator are bothcylindrically shaped, wherein at least one of the condenser andevaporator comprises a plurality of fins, each fin having first andsecond major surfaces that are horizontal or tilted with respect tohorizontal and vertical.
 2. The portable air conditioner according toclaim 1, wherein the portable air conditioner is cylindrical or cuboidshaped.
 3. The portable air conditioner according to claim 1, whereinthe bottom section has a diameter of less than 45 centimeters.
 4. Theportable air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the height of theportable air conditioner is at least 80 centimeters.
 5. The portable airconditioner according to claim 1, wherein the cool air outlet is locatedin the top section.
 6. The portable air conditioner according to claim1, wherein the portable air conditioner is adapted to generate a coolair stream in an upwards direction.
 7. The portable air conditioneraccording to claim 6, wherein the portable air conditioner is providedwith a shield for deflecting the upwards cool air stream in a radialdirection.
 8. The portable air conditioner according to claim 7, whereinthe deflecting shield is designed to only deflect the radially deflectedcool air into a sector.
 9. The portable air conditioner according toclaim 7, wherein the shield is generally cone shaped with a curved wall.10. The portable air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein thecompressor is surrounded by the condenser only at a top section of thecompressor.
 11. The portable air conditioner according to claim 1,wherein the condenser fan is located above the compressor.
 12. Theportable air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the evaporator islocated above the condenser fan.
 13. The portable air conditioneraccording to claim 12, wherein electronics are located in the area ofthe evaporator.
 14. The portable air conditioner according to claim 12,wherein the evaporator fan is located above the evaporator.
 15. Theportable air conditioner according to claim 1, when the portableair-conditioner is cylindrically shaped, wherein the ratio between thewidth and the height of the portable air-conditioner is at least 1:2.5.16. The portable air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the firstand second major surfaces are horizontal.
 17. The portable airconditioner according to claim 1, wherein the first and second majorsurfaces are tilted with respect to horizontal and vertical.
 18. Theportable air conditioner according to claim 1, further comprising a trayabove the condenser that collects condensate from the evaporator anddistributes the condensate over the condenser.
 19. The portable airconditioner according to claim 1, wherein the warm air outlet comprisesan inflatable hose comprising a flexible material.
 20. The portable airconditioner according to claim 1, further comprising a cover that coversand insulates the compressor.
 21. A portable air-conditioner comprising:a compressor; a condenser an evaporator; a housing, wherein thecompressor, condenser, and evaporator are located inside the housing; acool air inlet and outlet and a warm air inlet and outlet; an evaporatorfan; and a condenser fan, wherein the housing of the air-conditioner hasan elongated shape with end sections forming a top section and a bottomsection, respectively, and wherein the evaporator fan is an axial fanand wherein the condenser fan is a radial fan, wherein at least one ofthe condenser and evaporator is cylindrically shaped, and wherein theevaporator fan is located above the evaporator.
 22. A portableair-conditioner comprising: a compressor; a condenser that iscylindrically shaped; an evaporator; a housing, wherein the compressor,condenser, and evaporator are located inside the housing; a cool airinlet and outlet and a warm air inlet and outlet; an evaporator fan; anda condenser fan, wherein the housing of the air-conditioner has anelongated shape with end sections forming a top section and a bottomsection, respectively, and wherein electronics are located in the areaof the evaporator.